Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

C. Compactum Acts As A Comprehensive Climate Archive And Ecological Foundation In The Labrador Sea, Sadie Heckman

CMC Senior Theses

Clathromorphum compactum, a species of crustose coralline algae (CCA), is incredibly valuable for the future of high latitude ocean health, both as a comprehensive archive of changing ocean conditions, and ecologically as a foundational species for promoting biodiversity. Previous work establishes C. compactum as an effective climate proxy, and its life history provides several advantages for this use. C. compactum grow in nongeniculate, generally radial formations on hard substrates, over a wide distribution in mid-to-high latitude oceans and at subtidal depth ranges. Indeterminate growth leads to extreme longevity in C. compactum (Halfar et al., 2008), and growth rates are relatively …

Unearthing The Effects Of European-American Settlement On A Northeast Ohio Kettle Lake Through Diatom Stratigraphy, Justine Paul A. Berina

Senior Independent Study Theses

Recently, wetland conservation has highlighted the necessity for assessing limnological changes following European-American settlement. A prior study at Brown's Lake (northeast Ohio) identified a stratigraphic sequence that shows an abrupt transition from organic-rich muds to several centimeters of a bright loess layer, then a recovery to organic-rich sediments near the top. Based on ²¹⁰Pb dates, the loess deposition occurred before 1846 CE, when a growing population cleared trees and farmed intensively. Likewise, organics had recovered after 1950 CE, when people abandoned farmland and practiced conservation tillage. However, the effects of settlement on limnology are poorly known. Diatoms (microscopic algae; …

The Effects Of Hydrologic Heterogeneity On Harmful Algal Blooms In Freshwater Reservoir, Lake Sinclair, Georgia, Margaret Blackledge

Biology Theses

Aquatic habitats are frequently studied after a major water quality problem like the occurrence of an algal bloom. In this study, A proactive rather than a reactive response was considered, where the complexity of conditions conducive to uncontrolled cell growth were studied before a bloom took place by sampling regularly. This study aimed to monitor water quality by monthly sampling of algal communities for approximately one year. As the base of the aquatic food web, algae are a highly diverse group of organisms with varying sensitivity to physical and chemical changes in the environment. Four shallow sites were monitored at …

Optimal Control Of Algae Biofilm Growth In Wastewater Treatment Using Computational Mathematical Models, Gerald Benjamin Jones

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Microalgal biofilms are comprised of a syntrophic consortium of microalgae and other microorganisms embedded within an extracellular matrix. Despite significant processes in the application of microalgal biofilms in wastewater treatment, mechanistic understanding and optimization of microalgal biomass yield and productivity under environmental constraints is still lacking. This paper identifies theoretical insights on this challenging biological problem by leveraging novel mathematical and computational tools. In particular, through a computational mathematical model to advance the understanding of microalgal biofilm growth kinetics under environmental constraints through a systematic parameter study. Moreover, design of algae biofilm reactors for optimal biomass yield and productivity in …

Evaluating And Predicting The Risk Of Algal Blooms In A Freshwater Lake Through A 4-Dimensional Approach: A Case Study On Lake Mitchell, Sumit Kumar Ghosh

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Excessive algal growth in freshwater lakes can negatively impact ecosystems, recreation, and human health. Though algae are a natural part of freshwater ecosystems, elevated nutrient loading from anthropogenic and natural sources can lead to algal blooms. Both algae and blue-green algae (BGA) are responsible for algal blooms; however, BGA (cyanobacteria) is more dangerous. The first objective of this research was to prepare a conceptual model to understand how various environmental variables affect algae. This conceptual model was used to choose the environmental variables that help increase or decrease algae in the water environment. The second objective was to develop empirical …

Diversity And Function Of Algal Biofilms In The Laurentian Great Lakes, Leon R. Katona

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Attached algae are ubiquitous components of lake benthic habitats wherever sufficient light reaches submerged surfaces. Attached algae interact with heterotrophic bacteria and fungi to form complex biofilms (“periphyton”) that provide a nutritious food source for consumers and influence biogeochemical cycling by regulating redox potential at the sediment-water interface. Despite their ecological importance, there are limited data on the role of periphyton in the Laurentian Great Lakes. I quantified wave exposure and light availability in rocky nearshore habitats in Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Periphyton biomass and productivity in nearshore Lake Erie was very high while algal biomass and productivity in …

Spatial And Temporal Variation Of Nutrients In The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Basin: Implications For Primary Production In Stream Ecosystems, Nolan Pearce

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Growing human populations and associated land use activities has increased the amount of nutrients delivered to surface waters. Eutrophication from the over-enrichment of nitrogen and phosphorus has degraded ecosystem conditions in streams, lakes, and coastal areas worldwide. Thus, the management of anthropogenic nutrient loading is a global concern. This thesis employed a combination of field and experimental research to provide watershed managers with information on the spatial and temporal patterns in stream nutrient enrichment, and the associated ecological effects of anthropogenic nutrient loading in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence basin. Four studies were completed to address this research goal. First, I …

Growth, Lipid Production And Biodiesel Potential Of Chromulina Freiburgensis Dofl., An Acidophilic Chrysophyte Isolated From Berkeley Pit Lake, June E. Mohler Mitman

Graduate Theses & Non-Theses

Microalgae remain a promising, but underdeveloped source of lipids for sustainable biodiesel. Some of the obstacles to cost-effective commercial-scale production have been culture contamination and expensive harvest methods. A chrysophyte isolated from Berkeley Pit Lake and identified as Chromulina freiburgensis, was found to grow rapidly in a pH 2.5 liquid medium and to amass numerous intracellular lipid bodies. This research addresses the scarcity of published knowledge on the topic of chrysophyte species as potential lipid sources for biodiesel. It investigates how growth phase, culture conditions, and harvest timing influence the quantity and composition of lipids produced by this alga. …

Characterizing The Effects Of Environmental Stressors On The Photosynthetic Capacity Of Chlorella Vulgaris, Amanda Louise Smythers

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Chlorella vulgaris is a unicellular green algae grown throughout the world. Due to its multiple trophic modes as well as its ability to maintain high rates of growth under adverse conditions, it has been of global interest for use in ecological contamination studies, biofuel feedstock optimization, and studies of photosynthetic electron transfer. Using a wide-range of methods for physiological and photosynthetic characterization, the studies within seek to further extend the usefulness of C. vulgaris in a variety of environmentally important studies. Once the protocols were optimized specifically for this alga, they could be applied in both ecologically relevant and biodiesel …

Retreat Of The Antarctic Ice Sheet In The Southern Ross Embayment From Records At Amundsen And Liv Glaciers, Southern Transantarctic Mountains, Jillian Pelto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Antarctic Ice Sheet contains ~58 m of global sea-level equivalent and thus its future behavior under global warming is of pressing concern. Examination of past ice-sheet behavior during periods of warming climate can afford insight useful for predicting future sea-level rise. This study focuses on a major unanswered question - namely, the cause of Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat following the last glaciation. Documenting the timing and nature of this deglaciation is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind ice-sheet behavior. Here, I examine how the marine portions of the ice sheet responded to the major warming that occurred at the …

River Biofilm Structure And Function In A Resource Landscape Modified By Agriculture: Implications For Primary Consumers, Hannah M. Fazekas

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Anthropogenic alterations to nitrogen, carbon, and phosphorus bioavailability have increased the flux of these resources into the biosphere and altered stream ecosystem function. Streams modify the transport of these resources to receiving ecosystems through uptake, transformation, and mineralization. Understanding how streams process carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus can provide insight about how stream ecosystems function in landscapes where human modification is inescapable. I investigated how land use in agricultural regions affect resource availability to primary producers and consumers and the subsequent impact on stream processes. I surveyed headwater streams in three Lake Erie watersheds to determine spatiotemporal nutrient limitation of attached …

Forward Osmosis For Wastewater Treatment And Energy Recovery: A Techno-Economic Analysis, Patrick William Buckwalter

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

A novel wastewater treatment system was investigated using forward osmosis membranes to treat municipal wastewater. Treatment by forward osmosis was determined to cost $10 million per million gallons per day (MGD) of wastewater capacity over a 20-year lifetime, with an energy consumption of 870 kWh per million gallons. A case study at the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant was conducted to investigate a treatment system that combines energy recovery from algae biomass with forward osmosis membrane treatment using local seawater as a draw solution. Total system cost was calculated to be $29.7 million over a 20-year lifetime with a 2.3 MGD …

Measuring The Effects Of Recycled Water On The Growth Of Three Algal Species: Tisochrysis Lutea, Chaetcoeros Calcitrans, And C. Muelleri In A Commercial-Scale Oyster Hatchery, Lisa Marie Bourassa

LSU Master's Theses

Algal production is often the limiting factor in large-scale oyster hatcheries, and constant, reliable production is required to grow enough algae to support all oyster larvae and broodstock grown and conditioned in a hatchery. The algal rooms in the Michael C. Voisin Oyster Hatchery at Grand Isle, LA are temperature-controlled to maintain consistent temperature, but this hatchery is also unique in its ability to recycle natural seawater pumped from the northern Gulf of Mexico. Effects of recycling seawater on algal production in an oyster hatchery, however, are undocumented. In this study, Tisochrysis lutea, Chaetoceros calcitrans and C. muelleri were grown …

Factors Influencing Cladophora Biomass Abundance In The Upper Clark Fork River, Montana., Nicholas J. Banish

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Algal Wastewater Treatment And Biofuel Production: An Assessment Of Measurement Methods, And Impact Of Nutrient Availability And Species Composition, John F. Chamberlin

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In order to move towards a more sustainable future, human civilization will need to decrease its impacts on air and water quality and minimize consumption of fossil fuels. Using algae for wastewater treatment and biofuel production offers one approach to progress towards these goals simultaneously. Algae are capable of removing nutrients from wastewater and carbon dioxide from the air, and the biomass formed in that process can be used to generate a wide-range of products including fertilizer or fuels that could power combustion engines, power plants, or zero-emission fuel cell vehicles. Using wastewater for biofuel production has the potential to …

A Method Comparison And Stressor-Response Experimental Study Of Nitrogen And Phosphorus Impacts To Periphyton In Ozark Streams, Ashley Renee Rodman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stream bioassessment is important for understanding algal-nutrient relationships and the development of scientifically defensible numeric nutrient criteria. However, multiple methods of periphyton data collection are currently used, and little is known about the comparability of resulting datasets. Literature also suggests other factors besides nutrients (i.e. variable grazing, light, and flow) can confound algal-nutrient relationships. A one-year method comparison study and 31-day algal biomass-nutrient manipulative experiment were conducted in the southern Ozarks of Arkansas. The method comparison study was implemented using two common bioassessment procedures (whole-surface and delimiter-reduced periphyton removal) to assess the potential for combining datasets. During the manipulative experiment, …

Chemical Investigation Of Antarctic Marine Organisms & Their Role In Modern Drug Discovery, Jacqueline Lee Fries

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The chemicals produced by biological systems, whether proteins, peptides, or terpenes, will always provide an intriguing topic for researchers. Invisibly controlling every aspect of nature, these molecules are responsible for life, evolution, and death. Specifically, here is described the secondary metabolites produced by Antarctic marine organisms as well as others, and how they are used to defend or attract other animals while potentially providing health benefits to mankind. This is done through collection, extraction, and separation of individual specimens. The respective mixtures of compounds after isolation are then analyzed via spectroscopic methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, …

Production And Harvest Of Microalgae In Wastewater Raceways With Resource Recycling, Alexander Colin Roberts

Master's Theses

Microalgae can be grown on municipal wastewater media to both treat the wastewater and produce feedstock for algae biofuel production. However the reliability of treatment must be demonstrated, as well as high areal algae productivity on recycled wastewater media and efficient sedimentation harvesting. This processes was studied at pilot scale in the present research.

A pilot facility was operated with nine CO₂-supplemented raceway ponds, each with a 33-m² surface area and a 0.3-m depth, continuously from March 6, 2013 through September 24, 2014. The ponds were operated as three sets of triplicates with two sets continuously fed …

Comparing Nutrient Recovery Via Rapid (Flash Hydrolysis) And Conventional Hydrothermal Liquefaction Processes For Microalgae Cultivation, Caleb Richard Talbot

Civil & Environmental Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Algal biofuels have the potential to provide a scalable source of renewable fuels in the near future. The high nutrient use in algae cultivation and its recovery and recycling is one of the challenges that may limit the scalability and sustainability of algal biofuels. The present study evaluates the use of Hydrolysate obtained after Flash Hydrolysis (FH) of Scenedesmus at 280 C as a nutrient source for microalgae cultivation. FH Hydrolysate nutrient recycling was compared with low temperature batch Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) nutrient recycling. Oocystis and Scenedesmus were cultivated using Hydrolysate as a partial phosphorous (P) and nitrogen (N) source. …

Investigation Of The Potential For Algaenan To Produce Hydrocarbon Based Fuels From Algae By Hydrous Pyrolysis, Wassim Adel Obeid

Chemistry & Biochemistry Theses & Dissertations

The use of algae as a feedstock for hydrous pyrolysis has a high potential for producing biofuels. The non-food nature of algae in addition to the various advantages associated with the hydrous pyrolysis process makes this combination for the production of biofuels of high interest. However, current results from algae processing have alluded to some challenges: byproducts arising from the thermal transformation of carbohydrates and proteins, which become incorporated in the oil fraction, result in high oxygen and nitrogen contents of the oil. Accordingly, this produces an oil of low quality for refineries. This dissertation investigates use of a pretreatment …

Algal Quality Controls The Distribution, Behavior And Growth Of Algivorous Cichlids In Lake Tanganyika, Renalda Nanziga Munubi

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The nutritional value of primary producer is dependent on the concentrations of C, N and P. These elements are the building blocks for protein, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids and other biochemical compounds. The balance between the supply of dietary elements and the herbivore's demand is crucial for the growth of algivorous organisms, including fish. However, anthropogenic changes in primary producer quality due to sediments may alter the value and quantity of food in the littoral zone of Lake Tanganyika, which may affect both herbivorous near shore and pelagic fisheries. This dissertation focuses on the influence of algae food on herbivore …

Feasibility Of Using Biofuel By-Products As A Sustainable Nutritional Resource For Aquaculture Production Of Litopenaeus Vannamei, Erik David Demicco

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Many different algal species can provide an acceptable protein ingredient, with good digestibility, for shrimp feeds. Compared to fish meal, similar protein, carbohydrate, and lipid levels can be found in select algal species. Traditional shrimp diets in aquaculture rely on fish meal and fish oil from pelagic fish fisheries. A reduction or elimination of these ingredients would reduce the dependency of shrimp aquaculture on offshore fisheries and increase economic competiveness. Biofuel production produces algal by-products of potential use to aquaculturists that might reduce or eliminate the need for fisheries products in shrimp feed. Established uses for by-products from biofuel production …

Responses Of Target And Non-Target Species To Algaecide Exposures, Alyssa Calomeni

All Theses

Laboratory experiments are often used to predict the responses of target and non-target species to chemical exposures in the field. In the first two experiments of this thesis, a rigorous evaluation of six algal viability measures was conducted. A definitive evaluation of the algal response measures was conducted using heat treatment to create known live: dead cell suspensions. Results from the response measures were compared to the known viability of the cell suspensions to determine their variance and accuracy. Copper-based algaecides were then used as a more realistic exposure to test the algal viability measures. When algal viability measures had …

Identifying, Monitoring, Quantifying And Converting Algae To Bio-Fuels In Bio-Reactors, Alice C. Jernigan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Growing algae as a source for bio-fuels has become an area of interest due to concerns about global warming and the reliability and ecology of the production of fossil fuels. Dried algae harvested from a pilot water quality improvement technology at the Rockaway Wastewater Treatment Facility in New York were examined as a source of carbohydrates and lipids for the production of bio-fuels in bio-reactors. The length of storage time, storage conditions, sugar and lipid extraction processes, and fuel production were studied. The results show that if the algae is stored dry (0.015 g/g algae even after a year in …

Environmental Implications And Applications Of Nanomaterials, Priyanka Bhattacharya

All Dissertations

Recent advances in material science and nanotechnology have given rise to a myriad of developments, while in the meantime call for research into the impacts of nanomaterials on the environment and human health. Although considerable progress has been made in the past decade concerning the behavior of nanomaterials in biological systems, such understanding is critically lacking with respect to the fate of nanomaterials in ecosystems.
Accordingly, this dissertation addresses the interactions between nanomaterials and algae--the major constituent of the aquatic food chain (Part I, Chapter two), and exploits the physicochemistry of nanoscaled synthetic dendritic polymers for environmental applications, especially for …

Production Of Biodiesel From Oleaginous Organisms Using Underutilized Wastewaters, Valerie Godfrey

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As part of the BioEnergy Team at Utah State Univeristy, my research objectives have been centered around the common theme of innovating new methods and
technology for producing biological compounds and, by means of chemical conversion and/or extraction, isolating new forms of biodiesel available for transportation fuel.
Within the broad scope of this project, I focused on the replacement of freshwater in cultivating such biological systems with wastewaters. If accomplished and correctly
applied, such research would reduce the environmental impact of biodiesel production by reducing the demand for freshwater. It also would reduce production costs by reducing the amount of …

Assessing Ageing At Beaver Reservoir, Northwest Arkansas: Limnological, Geochemical & Paleolimnological Approach, Byron Anthony Winston

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Access to potable water has been arguably one of the most important requisites for the advancement of human civilization on earth. As a result, man in his infinite wisdom devised the dam and formed reservoirs, (man- made lakes), to exploit water resources at will. In all natural lakes and reservoirs changes occur in the water quality parameters as it relates to chemical nutrients, temperature and turbidity over time. These changes are collectively referred to as "Reservoir Ageing", of which sedimentation and eutrophication are primary. Reservoir Ageing has consequences which adversely affect and defeat many of the intended uses of the …

A Modeling Analysis Of Dissolved Carbon Dioxide Discharged From Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant, Dustin Capps

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Currently, the US Environmental Protection Agency primarily regulates the discharge of dissolved nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater treatment plants in the United States. A recent study has shown that the treated effluent of many plants contains concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide well above the expected theoretical equilibrium concentration of 0.6 mg/L, indicating that carbon dioxide may have been overlooked as a possible pollutant in receiving waters. For this reason, it is necessary to examine the possible presence of a discharge plume containing high levels of dissolved CO2 downstream from the outfall of a major wastewater treatment plant in Tampa, Florida. …

Spatial Light Dilution As A Technique For Conversion Of Solar Energy To Algal Biomass, Daniel J. Dye

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A photobioreactor has been designed and developed to efficiently utilize solar irradiance through spatial dilution of sunlight. The concept of spatial light dilution is simple: incident sunlight is spread over a large surface area, thus reducing the photon flux density of the light. The implementation of this technique, however, is difficult. The reactor described within uses a new approach to spatial light dilution, utilizing recently-developed optical components to diffuse concentrated sunlight inside an algae culture. Preliminary productivity tests indicate a 2-3 fold increase in productivity per unit aperture (sunlight collection area) over a control reactor with direct-sunlight. Aperture productivity of …

Phosphorus Uptake In Rhodomonas Salina (Wislouch) And Its Effect On Allocation And Elimination In Acartia Tonsa (Dana), Danna Palladino

OES Theses and Dissertations

Phosphorus is a key element in important biochemical compounds, such as RNA and phospholipids, and can become limiting in a variety of marine systems. The uptake of phosphorus into biochemical fractions (protein, low molecular weight (LMW) compounds, lipid, polysaccharide and nucleic acid) in Acartia tonsa fed ³³P -labeled Rhodomonas salina was examined. R. salina was cultured on two variations of one media that in one case contained phosphorus in balance and the other out of balance with relation to other standard f/2 components. The P-balanced (PB) media had a N:P ratio of 24.5, which is higher than that found …